If the 2025 season follows suit of 2024, Watson Chapel will have a much better outcome in Week 1 than in Week 0.
For the second year in a row, the Wildcats (0-1) are faced with the task of overcoming a decisive loss to Helena-West Helena Central and picking up a nonconference win over Crossett.
The Wildcats did that at Crossett 19-7 last season to end a 20-game losing streak, but they aren’t dealing with as much hard luck coming off a 2-7 season in Steven Heard’s first year as head coach.
“I want to see growth more as a team and in team composure and learning to take advantage of our situation,” said second-year Wildcats Coach Steven Heard.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“We’re good on X’s and O’s and on discipline. It’s just keeping our heads together. It’s just the tangibles we need to grow with.”
Watson Chapel and Crossett will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium, where the Wildcats ended the 2024 campaign with a win over Jacksonville.
The last time Watson Chapel won two straight home games was in October 2020, beating Little Rock Hall and Beebe.
“We’re happy to be at home, happy to put a product at home in front of our fans,” Heard said.
“We only have four home games, so hopefully we get momentum and put on a good show for our fans.”
The Wildcats, of the 5A-Central Conference, would like to sustain a fast start against the Eagles (0-1), a Conference 4A-8 team who lost to 3A power Prescott 45-8 last week.
This is Crossett’s second game on the road to start the season, as the Eagles look for their first win since beating Dumas 17-14 on Oct. 27, 2023.
They have lost 13 in a row since.
Watson Chapel started off quickly a week ago against Helena-West Helena Central, thanks to J’Kenzye Miller’s 65-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown.
But by 8:14 left in the second quarter, Watson Chapel was already trailing 26-8, as Central scored off three of the Wildcats’ turnovers at the time. (The Wildcats scored on their next series.)
“It’s not so much the turnovers as mistakes in general,” Heard said, explaining what hindered the Wildcats.
“I said the ones who make less mistakes would win. We turned the ball over, and my quarterback, Malachi (Rayford), he threw to wide open receivers, but there were a couple of drops and a couple of misfires. We had a perfect situation and he didn’t set his feet right and overthrew the receiver.”
Heard said he has ramped up intensity in practice, helping the offensive line deal with situations in which they have to respond under stress. His message to the offense is to put more points on the board.
“I got confidence in our offense and our team speed,” Heard said.
“Our defense is really talented, so we’re switching different fronts to get our team speed on the field.”
Southeast Arkansas Football Schedule
High School Week 1
Friday
(All games start at 7 p.m.)
Crossett at Watson Chapel; Warren at White Hall; England at Drew Central; Magnet Cove at Fordyce; Guy-Perkins at Hermitage; Hamburg at McGehee; Monticello at Bauxite; Rison at Harmony Grove (Ouachita Co.); Star City at Dumas; Stuttgart at Central Ark. Christian; Woodlawn at Rose Bud
Saturday
Pine Bluff at Dallas Kimball (Kincaide Stadium), 11 a.m.
College Week 2
Thursday
UA-Monticello at Southeastern Okla. State
Saturday
UAPB at Central Arkansas, Conway, 6 p.m.